The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California: To which is Added a Description of the Physical Geography of California, with Recent Notices of the Gold Region from the Latest and Most Authentic SourcesFrémont, John Charles
History
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California: To which is Added a Description of the Physical Geography of California, with Recent Notices of the Gold Region from the Latest and Most Authentic Sources
Frémont, John Charles
California -- Gold discoveries; Pacific States -- Description and travel; Rocky Mountains; United States -- Discovery and exploration; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
My horse was a trained hunter, famous in the West under the name of
Proveau; and, with his eyes flashing and the foam flying from his
mouth, sprang on after the cow like a tiger. In a few moments he
brought me alongside of her, and rising in the stirrups, I fired at the
distance of a yard, the ball entering at the termination of the long
hair, and passing near the heart. She fell headlong at the report of
the gun; and, checking my horse, I looked around for my companions. At
a little distance, Kit was on the ground, engaged in tying his horse to
the horns of a cow he was preparing to cut up. Among the scattered
bands, at some distance below, I caught a glimpse of Maxwell; and while
I was looking, a light wreath of smoke curled away from his gun, from
which I was too far to hear the report. Nearer, and between me and the
hills, towards which they were directing their course, was the body of
the herd; and, giving my horse the rein, we dashed after them. A thick
cloud of dust hung upon their rear, which filled my mouth and eyes, and
nearly smothered me. In the midst of this I could see nothing, and the
buffalo were not distinguishable until within thirty feet. They crowded
together more densely still as I came upon them, and rushed along in
such a compact body, that I could not obtain an entrance--the horse
almost leaping upon them. In a few moments the mass divided to the
right and left, the horns clattering with a noise heard above every
thing else, and my horse darted into the opening. Five or six bulls
charged on us as we dashed along the line, but were left far behind;
and, singling out a cow, I gave her my fire, but struck too high. She
gave a tremendous leap, and scoured on swifter than before. I reined up
my horse, and the band swept on like a torrent, and left the place
quiet and clear. Our chase had led us into dangerous ground. A
prairie-dog village, so thickly settled that there were three or four
holes in every twenty yards square, occupied the whole bottom for
nearly two miles in length. Looking around, I saw only one of the
hunters, nearly out of sight, and the long, dark line of our caravan
crawling along, three or four miles distant. After a march of
twenty-four miles, we encamped at nightfall, one mile and a half above
the lower end of Brady's Island. The breadth of this arm of the river
was eight hundred and eighty yards, and the water nowhere two feet in
depth. The island bears the name of a man killed on this spot some
years ago. His party had encamped here, three in company, and one of
the number went off to hunt, leaving Brady and his companion together.
These two had frequently quarreled, and on the hunter's return he found
Brady dead, and was told that he had shot himself accidentally. He was
buried here on the bank; but, as usual, the wolves tore him out, and
some human bones that were lying on the ground we supposed were his.
Troops of wolves that were hanging on the skirts of the buffalo, kept
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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